"Teaware Stars" of the TeaDay ... Kenji Kyusu, Hagi SO Biwa Wan by Deishi, and of course the tea, mystery sencha.

"Best supporting Teawares" of the day ... these pieces always take a back seat to the top three stars, but they enhance the experience greatly!

The Chataku (saucer) is "Kamakura." The Natsume is a beautiful vintage unpolished Sakura bark (I use this to hold the single serving of tea leaves, though Natsume are usually for holding the matcha for Japanese Tea Ceremony). The Yuzamashi is likely the piece I use more than any ... just a no name and mass produced piece, though I like the iron spots as I know where 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 ounces are by the spots. The Kyusu tray is more likely a sweet tray ... again for Japanese Tea Ceremony.

I like to improv if I like the pieces!

... and the "stage crew" is out of the limelight entirely ... to the right of the Teatable ... like my right hand men!

It all comes together in a pleasing way for not only me, but my "guest" as well.

Got this sweet Yunomi as a X-mass gift from my friend Kouta Shimazaki, A local artists and ceramics instructor. fully hand formed tebineri, great neutral off white glaze to show the color of the tea with. drinking some kirashima no kaori out if today.

I like Lomonosov cups. This is a really big cup, but it easily fits the whole of the big gaiwan in it. It's not typical of a lomonosov tea cup, and though it has a handle, I use it more like a glass. Wide, low tea cups are harder to drink out of, either using the handle or by grabbing around the edge. Sometimes it comes in the car for tea on the way to work, for which most japanese/chinese teaware is not really suitable.

The teapot almost looks completely different it has stained so uniformly and completely. It is even staining in parts that are throwing me for a loop. For instance, tea stains are seeping out from beneath the glaze at the far end of the handle! This clay must really have a lot of interesting channels inside, although it is a very sandy and porous clay.

Noooo ... tis the "Cat Signal" or more precisely Shincha the cat casting a shadow over Teaware of the Day! Hmmm, like Groundhog Day, Shincha the cat day ... she sees her shadow and reveals that Shincha is still 100 days away